England confirm the invitation to tour Pakistan in 2021
England could tour Pakistan for the first time in over a decade after officials confirmed they had received an invitation to go to the Asian giants early in 2021 for a "short white-ball series".
Fifty-over world champions England have not played in Pakistan since 2005/06.
An attack by armed militants on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in '09 2009 ended major cricket tours for ten years.
But Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, West Indies, and Bangladesh have all since made the trip.
An England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued Thursday said: "After discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), we are able to confirm the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has received an invitation in respect of a brief white-ball tour to Pakistan during the early part of 2021.
"We welcome the actual fact that international cricket is time for Pakistan and are committed to doing what we can to greatly help this develop further."
The statement added that "the safety and welfare of our players and staff is paramount", with security issues and the development of Covid-19 secure 'bubbles' of the kind pioneered in England this season among the ECB's key concerns.
"We are liaising with the PCB, and as well as other partners over the coming weeks to work through these considerations before your final decision will be taken in due course," the ECB said.
Although the ECB didn't specify any dates, Wasim Khan, the Birmingham-born chief executive of the PCB said: "We've sent them a window of January 13-20, so we will do our best to make this tour happen.
"They (the ECB) will consider it (the invitation) and have a security assessment.
"It will be an essential tour and assist in improving our credibility as a host," he added.
It really is understood the proposed tour could consist of three T20 internationals, none of which would replace England's rescheduled tour of Sri Lanka.
Pakistan, following in the footsteps of the West Indies, visited England this year for three Tests and three T20 internationals despite Britain being one of the countries worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
- 'You owe Pakistan' -
Two of international cricket's financially poorer leading sides helped spare one of the wealthiest in England around £280 million ($366 million) loss if all the ECB's scheduled matches were destroyed by Covid-19.
That prompted Pakistan great Wasim Akram to state in August: "You (England) boys owe Pakistan cricket, and the united states, a whole lot, with the boys coming over here."
The same month saw Joe Root, England's Test captain, say: "I'd wish to go and visit Pakistan."
England is designed to tour South Africa the following month but a shadow has been cast over that campaign following the country's government signaled it was going to intervene in the Proteas' chaotic cricket administration.
They could then maintain Sri Lanka in January for a tour that was actually halted in March because of the virus outbreak before traveling to India for a Test series that may, such as this year's Indian Premier League, be moved to the UAE on virus-related health grounds.
